Louis XV Painted Canapé or Sofa
A very elegant and comfortable Louis XV painted canapé attributed to Jean-Baptiste Lebas, the channelled serpentine frame, with padded back, sides and feather-filled, loose-cushioned, seat. The toprail and seatrails carved with confronting foliate trails, with down-swept channelled scrolled arms, on foliate-headed cabriole legs and scrolled feet; all painted in cream and picked out in pale blue. The upholstery requires a new top cover, though the filling, webbing etc. are all in good condition. We are happy to provide a re-upholstery service.
A very closely related pair of bergeres each stamped ‘I. LEBAS’ (regilt in the 19th Century) was sold from the collection of Longleat at Christies London 14 Jun 2002 (illustrated here)
A further related set of four Louis XV fauteuils, each stamped Lebas were sold by Adam Bentley in 2022 (illustrated here)
Jean-Baptiste Lebas, maître in 1756.
Jean-Baptiste Lebas (1729-circa 1800), of the rue de Cléry, numbered among his clientele both the comtesse du Barry and the comte d’Artois. He made chairs in both the Louis XV and Louis XVI style. Both of his sons, Barthélemy and Jean-Jacques, became maîtres-ébénistes and worked with their father in the rue de Cléry.
An important set of eight fauteuils by Jean-Baptiste Lebas was sold Christies London, 19 May 1983, lot 76. A set of six Louis XV fauteuils also by J.-B. Lebas, with similarly floral-carved serpentined aprons, was sold anonymously, Christies London, 31 March 1977, lot 26.
